On the Trail
to Recovery

The Story

Five days between a symptom and a diagnosis.

In January 2024, after a sudden bout of hearing loss, I was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma — a rare, benign tumor growing on the nerve that connects the ear to the brain.

At first, I was dumbfounded. For several months I wrestled with anxiety, learning about treatment options and sitting with all the what-ifs. My wife was just finishing her ENT residency — she had studied this from textbooks, sat with patients navigating it, and suddenly here it was, at home, in our life. We were both shaken in ways neither of us expected.

An acoustic neuroma grows slowly for most people. Mine didn't — at five to ten times the typical rate, surgery became the clear path forward. Under Drs. Sarah Mowry and Nicholas Bambakidis at University Hospitals, we moved before symptoms ever arrived. I lost hearing on my right side in the process. We knew that going in, and it was the best outcome we could have hoped for.

Even with my wife's training and network, I felt lost in ways that medical access couldn't fully reach. The Acoustic Neuroma Association met me there. A packet arrived at my home. Online resources. And a repository of stories from people who had been exactly where I was — stories that brought real hope when I needed it most.

The body's ability to adapt is extraordinary. The mind is stronger than we give it credit for.

The Miles

One step at a time. Then another fifty miles of them.

Since surgery, every mile has been a reclamation. A trail half marathon at Mohican. The Cleveland Marathon. And on July 25th, 2026, the starting line at Burning River — 50 miles through the Cuyahoga Valley.

None of this happens alone. I'm grateful for every person who has run the miles with me — coaches, friends, and training partners who have pushed me along the path every step of the way.